Folding starting-crank.



V. LINK.

Y FOLDING STARTING CRANK. Arrmokmorr FILED AUG. 13, 1910.

' Patentedifipr. 22, 1913.

' barman snares raranrrrrY VINCENT LINK, or DETROIT, MIC IGAN, Assienon T0 PACKARD-MOTOR can oom- PANY', or DETROIT, MICHIGAN, A CORPORATION or MICHIGAN.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Apr. 22-, 1913.

Original application filed February 15, 1909, Serial No. 477,933. Divided and this application filed August 13, 1910. Serial No. 577,118.

To all whom it may concern:

.Be it known that I, VINCENT LINK. a citizen of the United States, and resident of Detroit, Vayne county, State of Michigan, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Folding StartingCranks, of which the following is a specification.

This invention relates to starting cranks for hydrocarbon motors, and particularly to starting cranks which are adapted to be used with truck motors.

v This application is a division of my prior application, Serial No. 477,933, filed F ebruary 15, 1909.

In most trucks in which the crank shaft of the motor is arranged longitudinally near'the front of the vehicle, a starting crank in employed which projects forwardly of the frame in'order that-itmay be in convenient position for cranking the motor. On accountof its position therefore, the starting crank is frequently bent or broken by contact with obstructions met with in theuse of the truck. Detachable starting cranks have been used to some extent but are unsatisfactory because they are liable to be lost. One of the Objects of the present invention therefore is to provide a starting crank which will project beyond the frame in a convenient position for use in starting the motor, and which when not in use may be folded to a safe position within the margin of the frame and where it will be protected from accidental in ury. Notwithstanding its ability to fold, the structure of the crank is such that it makes a firm and rigid connection with the starting crank when in operative position.

The invention will be described in connection with the accompanying drawings, in which Figure 1 is a vertical longitudinal section through the forward part of a truck frame and the starting crank connections;;Fig. 2 is a bottom view of the starting crank shown in Fig. 1; Fig. 3 is'a similar view to Fig. 2

with the starting crank ready to fold; Fig. 4 is a similar View to Fig. 2 with the starting crank folded; and Fig. 5 is a frontview of a part of the truck frame showing the .handle in two positions.

Referring to the drawings, 9 designates a cross bar which has secured thereto by a steel strap 10 a wood beam 11. Where the invention is used in a motor vehicle, the bar 9 forms a cross bar of the frame, and the wood beam 11 and the strap-10 act as a front bumper which takes the shocks due to collisions with ehicles or other obstacles in the operate with the clutch member 14 on the crank shaft previously referred to. The starting shaft is yieldingly held in inoperative position by a suitable spring 17 and this shaft is journaled in a suitable packed hearing 18 in the forward end of the crank case and in a bracket 19 bolted to the cross bar 9 and the beam 11. A transverse cylindrical key :20 passes through a suitable opening near the forward end of the starting shaft 16 and is secured thereto by a pin 21. The starting crank 22 is formed with a hollow cylindrical hub 23 which is adapted to-lai rally fit the forward end of the starting shaft and is provided with oppositely disposed longitudinal slots or key ways 24 in which the projecting ends of the key 20 are adapted to slide. The rear end of thehub 23 is somewhat cut away between the slots 2%, thus leaving ears containing those slots, and with this construction it will be seen upon reference to Figs. 1 and 5 that the crank may be drawn forward relative to the shaft 16 from its position shown in Figs. 1 and 2 to the position shown in Fig. 3, and when in within the forward edge of the beam and its plate 10, the starting crank when folded to the position shown in Fig. 4 is also within the forward edge of said beam and may be then turned to the position shown in F ig. 5 in full lines, andsecured agaiirtthe beam by spring clip 25. For convenience in holding the starting crank closer to the beam, an opening 26 is made in the wood to house the handle 27 ofthe startingcrank as shown in.

' cation, butmay be used wherever a starting crank is desirable.

' this invention, and it is, therefore, to e unnectin Fig. 5. The construction of the spring clip 25 and the method of securing the handle in position underneath the beam is fully shown in the drawings and need not be further described.

It will be noted that a rearward force applied to the crank will lock the same against vides avery convenient starting crank which is accessible for operation and can at any time be moved to a position where it will be protected by the beam 11 against damage.

Although this invention is s ecially applicable to motor vehicles, it will b it is not necessarily limited "to such an appli- It is further obvious that various changes may be made in the details of construction without departin from derstood that this invention is not to be 1im-' ited to the specific construction-shown and described. "I-Iaving thus described the invention, what is'claimed is: Y I 1. The combination with -a hydrocarbon motor, of a normally-idle starting shaft therefor, and a folding starting crank secured to said shaft, and adapted to 'move about an axis at rightangles to said shaft in moving to and away from folded position.

2. The combination with a hydrocarbonmotor, of a normally-idle starting shaft therefor, and a folding starting crank iv- .oted to the end of said shaft and adapte to swing about an axis at right angles to the shaft to folded position.

3. The combination with ahydrocarbon motor, of a normally-idle starting shaft therefor, a starting crank having a hub, a

sleeved connection between said shaft and hub, and means wherebyvsaidcrank may be moved at right angles to said shaft to folded position.

4. The combination with a hydrocarbon motor, -of a normally-idle starting shaft therefor, a starting crank having a hub with a sleeved end, a pin and slot connect-ion between said shaft and hub, andineans, donthe crank and hub, permitting the crank to be moved about said pin to foided position.

5. The combination with a hydrocarbon e seen that motor, of a normally-idle starting shaft therefor, a folding crank secured to said shaft and slidable axially thereon, and means for locking said crank in operative position on said shaft when the crank is moved axially of the shaft.

6. The combination with a hydrocarbon .motor, .0f a normally-idle starting shaft therefor, a folding crank secured to said shaft and slidable axially thereon, and' means, for locking said-crank in operative position on said shaft, adapted to be released by an axial movement of the crank on the shaft.

7. The combination with a hydrocarbon motor, of a starting shaft therefor, a fold-,

ing starting crank, and a fixed pivot pin extending transversely of said shaft and forming a pivot for said crank. I

8. The combination with a starting shaft, of a starting crank having a sleeve slidably engaging the end of said shaft and keyed to rotate therewith, means forlimiting the sliding movement of said sleeve, and means permitting the folding of said sleeve and crank at right angles to the shaft when they reach the limit oftheir forward move'ment.

9. The combination with a starting shaft, of a starting crank having a sleeve slidably engaging the end of said shaft and keyed to rot-ate therewith, ears upon opposite sides,

of said sleeve projecting beyond the end thereof, and embracing said shaft, and pivotal connection. between-said ears and the end of said shaft whereby the crank may be folded-when in its forward position.

10. The combination with a shaft, of a crank having a sleeve slidably engaging the end of said shaft, oppositely disposed ears uponsaid sleeve projectin beyond the end thereof, the said'sleeve an ears being provided with longitudinal slots, and a cross pin in the end of said shaft working in said slots whereby the crank may be folded when in its forward position without being disconnectedfrom said shaft.

11. The combination with'a shaft, of'a crank having .asleeve slidably engaging the end'of said shaft and keyed to turn therewith, and means pivotal connecting said sleeve to the shaft when 't reaches the outer.

limit of its sliding move exit, the said sleeve having a cutaway portion at its end permitting it to fold at right angles to the shaft.

12. The combination with a starting shaft, of a starting crank therefor, a protective member, and means whereby said crank may be folded to. a position within-the margm of said-member. r

13. The combination with a starting shaft,

of a starting crank therefor, a protective member, means whereby said crank may be folded to a position within the margin of said member, and means for securing the folded crank to said member.

14. The combination with a starting shaft,'

of a starting crank therefor having a handle, a protective member provided with arecess, and means whereby said. crank may 5 be-folded to.a position within the margin of said member with the handle in the recess.

15. The combination with the crank-shaft of an automobile, of a longitudinally mov- 10 able starting crank pivot-ally supported by the automobile and adapted to be swung allOlfllld an axis at right angles to the crank sia t. I

16. The combination with the crank shaft 1 'of an automobile, of a longitudinally mov- 5 abl'e starting crank pivotally sup ortedbythe automobile and adapted to be swung around an axis at right angles to the crank shaft to an inoperative position, and means for holding the crank in said position. 20 In testimony whereof I aflix my signature in presence of two witnesses.

- VINCENT LINK.

v lVitnesses: Acs'rm L., Rronannsorz, S. E. Lyons.

Copies of this patent may be obtained for five cents each, by addressing the Commissioner of hntenta,

. Washington, D. C. 

